It seems that everywhere I look in the last couple of days, someone is talking about how those who disagree with Obama are hurting the progressive agenda. Many feel that it is best to just follow Obama no matter what. I think this is not what helps the progressive movement, but its most bitter enemy. When there is no pressure from the left, our leaders have no where to go but to the right.
FDR once said "I agree with you, I want to do it, now make me do it." If the left did not pressure FDR to engage in large scale New Deal spending, it might never have happened. If progressives had just waited to support whatever FDR was planning, his agenda would have feel to the right of where it was. He would have had to compromise only with the right.
Now we face another severe economic crisis. What will happen if we just trust Obama completely? The right will still oppose him, and call for less spending and less regulation. This leaves room for the Bayhs and Liebermans of congress to push the legislation steadily to the right. If there is no pressure from us progressives, Democrats who are wavering will not fear reprisal from the left, only the right. Obama will more then willingly cut spending, decrease regulation, and add tax cuts to his proposals. He would know he would have hell to pay from the right, but next to nothing from the left.
This is the danger of falling in line. If instead progressives were to push for the best agenda possible, then it will not weaken Obama's agenda, only make it better and keep it from going farther to the right. When the administration's plan is unsatisfactory we must say so. We must not be afraid to disagree with the administration.
This is not about whether the Geithner plan is the best plan, or if we should listen to Krugman. It's about the progressive movement being its own entity rather than just cheerleaders for the administration. Republicans have taken that road with Bush. Whenever anyone would criticize Bush in the presence of a wingnut one would be sure to hear something on the lines of "he's our president, and I trust the president" To follow a leader no matter is not progressive in the slightest.
Lately I have heard similar arguments on Daily Kos. People are saying that Obama has smart economists, knows what he's doing, etc. So therefore going against him is just aiding the Republicans. This is the complete opposite of the truth. Sometimes Obama will be right, and sometimes he will be wrong. He is only human. If we back his proposals to the T no matter what, he will start being more and more wrong. His agenda will be pushed to the right, and we progressives will have lost our voice.
It doesn't matter how far Obama is into his administration. In fact, the beginning of his administration may be the most critical time for the progressive movement to exert its pressure. If we just sit back, and let Obama do as he will without any input, he will ignore us. Politicians respond to pressure. If coming out of the gate the pressure is only from the right, Obama will take the path of least resistance, and go right.
FDR did not accomplish the New Deal all by himself. He had the entire progressive movement pushing him into action. Back then we made FDR do it. Now it is time to make Obama do it.